Best bagpacks for kids and adults
Simmons College professor Shelly Goodgold found that 55 percent of fifth- through eighth-grade students she surveyed carry backpack loads weighing more than 15 percent of their body weight. One-third of those students said they've suffered back pain. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children carry no more than 10 percent to 20 percent of their weight in a backpack.
The results of the new study are to be presented Saturday at a national conference of the American Physical Therapy Association in San Antonio. The study was based on a survey of 345 Massachusetts children.
Strains Back and Neck
When you carry something that is really heavy, your head goes forward and you lean forward," said Goodgold, an associate professor of physical therapy. "This can produce strains in the neck, and strains in the back. Holding it over one shoulder can also create imbalances."
Previous studies have shown that wearing a backpack on one shoulder might increase the curvature of the spine in scoliosis patients, said Dr. Scott Bautch, president of the American Chiropractic Association's Council on Occupational Health.
The size of the bag is not necessarily the problem. It’s the amount of stuff you put in it that causes health issues. Heavy weight on your back can pull you backward, and to compensate, you bend forward at the hips or arch the back. This can put the spine in an unnatural position and can cause shoulder, neck and back pain.
Weight on one shoulder – shoulder bags or a backpack hanging by one strap – can add to the problems, throwing off the body’s natural balance and movement. Children tend to do this because they think it looks better, but they may end up leaning to one side to help balance the extra weight, which can cause back pain. The fashion-oriented crowd may also be guilty of this: however chic and cher your Louis Vuitton or however cheap your knock-off, when it's bulging with books and stuffed with stuff, it can affect the alignment of your spine, and may cause it to turn toward the carrying shoulder.
Here are ways to ensure a healthy back for both children and adults:
•Do not carry a bag that is more than 10% of your body weight.
•Carry only the items you need. For school children, tell them to bring home only the textbooks that they will be using that night.
•Switch to a smaller bag. This will ensure you are less likely to carry items you don’t need.
•Regularly empty out unnecessary items from bags.
•Carry backpacks on both shoulders, using both straps. For single-strapped bags, switch sides regularly to avoid weighing down one side.
•Choose bags with straps long enough to reach over your head and hang off the opposite shoulder. This helps distribute the bag weight evenly across the body.
Choose a good backpack with the following features:
◦wide, padded straps – narrow straps dig into the shoulders and can interfere with circulation
◦a padded back
◦a hip strap or waist belt to help distribute the weight evenly
◦lightweight material (e.g., canvas)
◦multiple compartments to effectively carry items of different sizes
•Use a backpack instead of shoulder bags, purses or messenger bags. When worn correctly, a backpack is better than these other types of bags because the back and abdominal muscles, the strongest in the body, support the weight of the bag.
•When wearing a backpack, tighten the straps so that the backpack sits close to the body and 5 cm (2 in) above the waist
